| 26 October 2009
The words “what happens when we choose to believe” are painted on a red wall in black letters next to the entrance to Steppenwolf’s Upstairs Theater, where Tanya Saracho’s adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’ book, "The House on Mango Street" – one of Chicago’s most memorable coming-of-age stories – is playing until Nov. 8. Those words certainly resonate with actor Sandra Delgado’s portrayal of the book’s main character Esperanza Cordero, a young Chicana living in Humboldt Park during the 1960’s.
The slums, inner-city gang shootings, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, poverty, and drugs…these might be the first images that come to mind if you’ve ever read literature about Latinas coming-of-age in the United States. When these topics are adapted to the stage, they usually make for a serious and somber, although thought provoking, uncomfortable reflection session at the theater. At least that’s usually the case, but Saracho’s interpretation of "The House on Mango Street" is anything but usual.
The play opens with a musical act that introduces Esperanza along with the cast of major characters, playing her family and neighborhood friends, as they move into their new house on Mango Street. They come on stage chanting various recognizable Chicago “L” stops and street intersections they have lived at in the past to the sounds and beats of Latin rhythms. Saracho successfully infuses the story’s delicate themes of female youth, puberty, angst, death, and desire with simple, yet emotionally packed musical numbers brought to life by guitar, bongo drums, and unexpected vocal solos. The combination of charming bolero music and tropical beats set against the poignantly delivered vignettes, straight out of Cisneros’ book, are what truly makes this adaptation worth seeing.
It’s easy to be enamored by the charm of the music and sporadic comic relief that saturates this play with every character that passes through the stage. The performances by the cast's young and seasoned actors -Belinda Cervantes, Gina Cornejo, Sandra Delgado, Liza Fernandez, Ricardo Gutierrez, Christina Nieves and Mari Stratton- infect the audience with great energy and feeling.
If you are a true Cisneros fan you will also appreciate how both Saracho and Director Hallie Gordon maintained a sense of integrity to the book’s plotline while evoking the powerful metaphor of the Latina who, in the play, is literally trapped on Mango Street spending a lifetime leaning on an elbow and staring out the window waiting and longing for identity.
While the cast delivered intimate and fleshed out portrayals of the major themes in the book, these portrayals lacked a traditional narrative arch. The play has a definite dramatic build-up that relies on escalating vignettes interspersed with shorter and less humorous musical numbers but the climax leaves something to be desired in the end. It’s bittersweet. The audience will empathize and relate to Esperanza’s desire for a different existence beyond Mango Street but they will not be left with a sense of mature and optimistic resolution. Perhaps this is just the kind of theatrical interpretation required of a play geared towards the Steppenwolf’s Young Adult audience. I’m not sure, but I’ll let you decide for yourself.
IF YOU GO
WHEN: End Nov. 8
WHERE: Steppenwolf for Young Adults, 1650 N. Halsted
ADMISSION: $20 ($15 student tickets available via phone/box office)
INFO: (312) 335-1650, www.steppenwolf.org
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Any plans to bring the play to NYC?